We searched for Lucia and the Vice-Commander with everything we could muster. The members of the Third Regiment were dispatched to help us, but no one could find even a trace of them in Arldat. The only thing we accomplished was learning that the Vice-Commander vanished before Lucia was called to the audience chamber.
It was only when I had a metallic taste filling my mouth that I realized I had bitten my lip during this whole ordeal. I don’t need to know that right now. I don’t care about anything other than finding you.
“Let’s go back for now. The others may have learned something,” Lord Reynard tried to comfort me after we left his empty office. He was right. Someone might have seen them leave.
I clung to that thread of hope as we returned to the waiting room, unaware of the horrible truth that awaited us there. Everyone else was already gathered when we arrived. As I stepped in, the Commander stood, quickly walking towards me with a serious look.
“Celestino... Please stay calm while I tell you what’s going on.”
As he spoke, I looked around the room, seeing an exhausted prince holding the Sacred Maiden as she cried. What’s happening...?
“We were too late. Florido took Lucia out of the castle through a hidden pathway. We’ve followed the wheel tracks, but...”
No.
“We lost track of them after a while. Gaius is searching around the end of them now. Florido is a professional when it comes to that kind of thing—”
No... I don’t want to hear this.
I knew he was speaking, but the sound wasn’t registering in my ears.
“The Astorga family is also known as the ‘Black Coachmen.’ They take care of secretly eliminating people under the King’s orders.”
NO!
“Where—” Before I realized it, I was screaming. “Where did they lose track of him!? You don’t know where he went!?”
While I screamed, it wasn’t the Commander who answered, but Prince Edoardo, “I just got back from speaking with Father. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry...” His Highness lowered his head, apologizing brokenly.
Commander Agliardi stepped in front of the prince, stopping before Lord Reynard, who stood dazed, and me.
“I’ve dispatched the members of the Second Regiment who were on standby in the capital on my own judgment. Gaius and Eric are with them, searching outside of the castle. You’re going, right? There’s no time to stand around doing nothing. I’ll show you to them. Let’s move!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Led by the Commander, Lord Reynard and I left Arldat castle. It was already pitch black outside, so we rode by the light of our crystal lamps.
“We’ll reach the main road soon. From there, too many sets of tracks fanned out for us to pinpoint where Florido’s carriage went. Sending everyone off to announce the purification of the Cristallo Sacro backfired on us.”
Once the news of the purification and disappearance of the monsters got to the castle, it was immediately spread to the surrounding regions. Most of my Third Regiment and the Fourth Regiment were out on that mission.
Unlike back when only certain people traveled on the roads, there was a surge of wagon and hoof tracks all at once, making it impossible to figure out which ones were the Vice-Commander’s. The things that she had traded her powers to protect were the very things making this incredibly difficult. It was all so stupid. What did she do? Risking herself, saving our world, and this is what she got?
“Lucia...”
My heart felt as if it were being ripped apart as we rode. The sun was starting to rise. Now we could see better, but it didn’t help us find her.
On the way, we met with someone who seemed to be a member of the Second Regiment. Because they usually covered espionage, they stayed out of the spotlight, but this one called out to us since the Commander was also here.
“We haven’t found the targets yet. Quattro’s been sent out to the nearby towns,” he said.
“I see. What about Tre and Sedici?”
“They’ve gone to the Vatis border with Quaranta.”
“Alright. Then we’ll search around the border with Galiena. Where are Gaius and Eric?”
“The Mage and Gaius went towards Aquilani with Venti and the others. The Vice-Commander’s territory of Calderara is also that way, so we’ve sent a number of knights there.”
After getting the knight’s report, the Commander pulled his horse’s reins to face us.
“Let’s go! The sun will be up soon.”
The black sky was brightening into a soft violet. Just like her eyes. I got choked up. No...I don’t want to see that color all around me right now. As if the sky had heard my plea, the violet quickly changed to blue — the sun was now up.
“Should we go back for the time being?” Lord Reynard seemed at a loss as he suggested it, nothing like his usual calm self. I could tell that I wasn’t the only one worried about her.
“You’re right...” The Commander agreed, scowling bitterly as his green eyes stared towards the rising sun. He patted his horse on the neck as he continued, “We’re too lightly equipped to go any farther. It would be best for us to head back and regroup.”
Commander Agliardi was right. We’d rushed out without even bringing any water, so we couldn’t go very far. It would be cruel to our horses to make them work this hard as well after just returning from a long journey away the day before. As much as I wanted to keep going...it wasn’t feasible.
“Celestino, I understand how you feel, but let’s head back for now and get everything in order. She might have come back already.”
I knew he was lying. He knew exactly how unlikely it was that she’d return.
Vice-Commander Astorga’s deeds have been long established. Someone who has done such work their whole life wouldn’t choose now to go against the King’s orders. The Vice-Commander had always said that the King’s word reigns supreme — he’d do anything that the King asked of him.
But part of me desperately wanted to believe it wasn’t true. I didn’t want to give up. My feelings for her weren’t that trivial. My reasonable mind said that it would be impossible to keep searching without regrouping, but my feelings fought against it.
“The Second Regiment is much more suited to searches than we are. Let’s leave things to them and go home. We’ll switch horses and get some supplies before heading out again. If we hurry, we’ll definitely make it in time,” the Commander continued gently as I hung my head. But I didn’t want to agree.
“Commander...let’s keep going. It’s just dawn now. At least let us keep going for a little while,” Lord Reynard spoke up, probably out of consideration for me.
“...Alright,” Commander Agliardi agreed to Lord Reynard’s suggestion. A gloomy atmosphere covered the three of us.
After that, we kept searching. I knew full well that I was pushing it, but I wanted to hang on to the hope that we’d find her. Once the sun rose, so did the people in towns and villages as we searched. No matter how long we were at it, there was no sign of them anywhere. Lucia, where are you?
“They might not have gone towards Galiena.”
“So we were wrong, huh... Maybe they really did head towards Calderara.”
The sun shone high above our heads, casting dark shadows at our feet. In the burning heat, only the wind brought us any cooling. Tomorrow, it would be the month of Vendémiaire, the start of another year, celebrating the harvest — a special year, where we were finally freed from the threat of monsters. We’d promised to celebrate together, but why wasn’t she with me? Why was I here?
I held a hand to my uniform top and thought about the ribbon hidden there. At the beginning of our journey, I’d thought that the ribbon connected Lucia and I — and since then, it never left my mind. I wish I could just follow the ribbon and find you. Please. Give her back to me.
After we passed through a few more villages, we returned to Arldat empty-handed. We had no choice.
Just as I was about to change horses, Eric sprinted towards us. It seemed that he’d returned from searching around Calderara. “Commander! Lord Reynard! Captain! Quick!”
“What’s wrong!?” The Commander raised his voice in answer to Eric’s flustered tone.
“The Vice-Commander is back!”